A generation ago when you sent your kids to private school [it] was because you didn’t like black people. And now when you send your kids to private school it’s cause you don’t like poor people. It’s all about class, it’s all about, “I want my kid to go to school with the right kinds of people so that he can get in to Harvard, or, God forbid, if he’s not that smart, which is usually the case, he’ll get into one of those schools with one of those names like Sarah something or William something or one of those schools. We’ll get you in, we’ll get him in, give us some money we’ll get him in. But, um, it’s all about class.
-Joe Queenan
Friday, January 11, 2008
Quotation for that Day
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I am new to this site, i saw you post on peachhead and thought the idea of this sounded great. But since you have a kid in the most desirable preschool in west la, i'm guessing the catholic school in palisades, why would you post this quote?
Are you admiting to not wanting your child raised around poor kids?? I have two who go to public schools in santa monica and they are exposed to a wide diverse group of kids, and my husband and i both went to private schools and prep schools. I will put them in private when i feel they are unsafe or not being educated well, but until then they are not just around entitled acting kids.
Joe Queenan has made his career writing deliberately provocative things, usually about famous people, to get his work noticed.
I posted this quotation because however satirical, I think there's some truth to it. It reminded me of the debates on busing in Los Angeles and South Boston and other places.
I think I qualified the fact that I have a child attending one of the most prestigious pre-schools in LA. It's a precious place indeed. It's secular, not Catholic. But I have a profound respect for the tradition of Catholic education in this country. Particularly, that of the Jesuits.
A highly-placed person in education once told me that choosing the "right" school for your child is all about choosing your "peer group." I appreciated the candor of such an admission from an otherwise "politically correct" person, at least in professional conduct if not personal.
To answer your question fully would be to divulge more information than I'd feel comfortable doing. But allow me to say that many public schools in Los Angeles, if not Santa Monica, are no longer suitable to me. I wish this weren't the case, as I'd rather see a rigorous and "fair" state system of education like that in many countries of Europe.
I just want people to be honest about their motives. Recognizing a problem inherent in our society, doesn't mean that one must, on principle, deny oneself or family the access to resources if one has the means. Nor would it invalidate a position or argument.
Look at where the Mayor and members of the School Board send their children. I can recognize the woeful neglect that we place many Americans in with respect to health care, and yet, I'm fortunate enough to have very good health care, and I take advantage of it. I don't see a contradiction here.
As for Queenan, I don't know his work well, but what he's written in the Wall Street Journal seems to me to be often fairly apt observations on American culture, esp. the decline of noblesse oblige in the new ruling class.
interesting thoughts..
My opinion on private schools.. I do think some do place their kids for all of those reasons.. I know that kids from some private schools like TP have some crazy unbelievable kid parties like renting a museum, cirque de soleil type performers and a live elephant for the kids to ride... OK absolutley and completely rediculous for a elementary school party! so yes! I agree! It's totally about who you know and all of that that goes along with it!
However, as a mom of a 3 year old, I have to say that public school does not seem to appeal to my taste all too much when I hear that a kinder class has 20-25 kids to ONE teacher and no teacher assistant. On the other hand, I know of one private school where a pre-k class has 4 teachers to 16 kids.
For this type of reason, I think I would like to send my kids to private school... whether I can afford it is a whole other topic.
just my 2 cents!
Laura :-)
Post a Comment